Queen touring future hinges on Brian May's health after stroke
Roger Taylor has confirmed that any future Queen tours depend on Brian May's recovery from a 2024 stroke, casting doubt over major European live dates for the UK's most-played rock act.
Roger Taylor says any future Queen tours depend largely on Brian May's willingness to perform. Speaking to BBC Radio 2, the drummer noted that organizing a tour is "a big machine to gear up". Taylor, who praised Adam Lambert's "incredible voice", added: "I think it’s more down to Brian than me. I love playing live... So if we both wanna do it, I’d be happy to. But we’ll see. Never say never."
The primary obstacle is May's health. The guitarist suffered a minor stroke in 2024 that came "all of a sudden, out of the blue", leaving him without any control over one of his arms. May called the experience "a little scary" and a "wake-up call".
His wife, Anita Dobson, reinforced these concerns in December, stating the band would not resume full-scale touring. "They will do little bits and bobs, but they won’t do those big tours," she said. This uncertainty impacts the European live music circuit, given the band's commercial drawing power as the UK’s most-played rock act of the 21st century.
Their last European and UK shows took place in 2022, while their most recent dates were in Asia in early 2024. May has also ruled out the continent's largest festivals, refusing to headline Glastonbury "because of the politics of the people who run it", specifically founder Michael Eavis’ support of badger culling. "Unless that changes, I won’t do it," May stated.
Geographic limitations further narrow any potential return, with May refusing to tour the US, calling it a "dangerous place" following their 2023 North American run. While Queen explored a Las Vegas Sphere residency, Lambert told NME there is "nothing going on at the moment with Queen" as the band are "all chilling" from writing. The group did release the track ‘Not For Sale (Polar Bear)’ over Christmas.
Taylor is instead focusing on solo projects. He will release his seventh solo LP, ‘Violence Insane In A Beautiful World’, on September 18 via Columbia. It is his first studio effort since 2021’s ‘Outsider’, and he will support it with his own UK tour later this year.
